Commutator construction.



H. K KGUYOUMJIAN.

COMMUTATOR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.18.1913.

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m g W i W m a WWW? w i? m kww 4 similar view looking HAROUTIUN K. KOUYOUMJIAN, OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE KEMCO ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

COMMUTATOR CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed December 18, 1913. Serial No. 807,382.

1! '0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that l, ITAROUTIUN ii. Kora YOUMJIAN, a. subject of the Sultan ot Turkey, residing at Cleveland, in the county of (luyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Uommutator Construction, of which the 'l'ollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to commutators and has for its chief object to provide a connnu tater which occupies a minimum of space axially of the machine in which the commutator is used, and which is extremely rigid and durable.

Although my invention is not limited to any particular type of dynamo electric machine, it has special utility in machines adapted to be employed on motor vehicles, and particularly in a generator which in accordance with one of my prior inventions is adapted to be combined with a radiator cooling fan and mounted on the tan bracket between the radiator and engine of the 1notor vehicle. In order that this may be done, it is essential that the machine be extremely compact and small or narrow in an axial direction, inasmuch as the space between the radiator and engine in most motor vehicles is quite limited.

The machine which I have designed, al-

thou h of am )le current out )llt, is so no.

p portioned and the parts thereot are so ar-- ranged that installation between the radiator and engine is possible, and the attainment of this object is due in large measure to the commutator construction which constitutes the subject matter of the present invention.

My invention may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

lnthe accompanying sheet of d -awings, Figure l is a side view of a direct current generator, in which my invention is embodied, parts being shown in elevation and parts in section; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the commutator detached; Fig. 3 is a side View of the connnutator; and i 4- is a at the commutator from the opposite side to that, shown in Fig. 3. 1

In the drawings, I have shown a dynamo electric machine inwhich as before stated, my invention has particular utility, via: a direct current generator for use on motor vehicles for lighting and battery charg ng purposes. This machine includes an inner stationary field member 10 mounted upon a lixed shalt ll, and an outer rotary armature 12, which is secured to and rotates with a casing 13 which is adapted to be driven by a belt engaging a pulley ll secured to the end wall l3 of the casing. \Vithin the casing and adjacent the opposite end wall 12-3 thereof is a connnutator forming the subject matter of this invention. This connnutator is not of the cylindrical type commonly employed iii-dynamo electric machines, but in order that it will occupy but little space axially of the machine, 1 make the same in the form of a hat annulus having on its inner side a. flat brush surface which is adapted to be engaged by connnutator brushes, one of which is shown at 15, these brushes being supported by the inner stationary iield element 10.

The commutator includes a plurality of radial wedgeshaped co-planar segments 16. each of which is substantially L-shaped, being provided with a'radial body portion, and at its inner end being provided with an inclined projection 16* extending to ard and substantially to the end wall 13'. When the segments are assembled. the projections 16 form at the inner periphery of the annulus an undercut annular flange.

The segments are retained in relationship by annular retaining means consisting of two rings 17 and 18 which engage and are secured to the end wall 13" of the casing. com'entrically with respect to each other, the inner ring being a split elastic ring which tightly grips the flange formed by the projra'tions of the assembled segments. The outer ring 18 is a continuous ring which tits tightly onto and holds the split ring in place. Preferably, the engaging surfaces of the two rings are tapered, as shown in the lower part of Fig. l, and preferably the outer ring is shrunk onto the inner ring. That is, beforebeing placed on the inner ring, it isheated, and when it cools and hence contracts, the outer ring will be drawn very tightly against the inher ring, thus clamping the latter tightly against the segmenflsf'lheu the, segments assembled V The two rings are arranged.

n a b 'lated from one another and will be sepa:

rated from the retaining rings by interposed insulation which may be mica, The rings may also be separated from the end wall 13 by mica.

it will be observed that the retaining rings engage the segments between their inner and outer ends, leaving the outer ends tree. This is desirable in order that the coils of the commutator may be readily connected to the segments, the connections not being shown in this instancc,it being understood that they may he soldered to the segments in the usual manner.

The taper at the inner periphery of the commutator is desirable for the reason that hy reason of this taper, the commutator serves as an oil guard, for if any oil from the hearing drops onto the connnutator, it will he thrown outwardly toward the end all l3 by centrifugal force, and will not pa s onto the brush engaging face of the conunutaton it will he seen from the drawing that the specific objects of this invention, that'is minimum of Width axially of the machine, and compactness, durability and rigidity are attained in this construction.

Although I have stated one important m'd of use of my invention, viz: as a generator for motor vehicles especially adapted to be supported at one given point of the vehicle, i wish it to be ui'ideistood that my invention has a: broader field of use and may he employed in other vtypes of dynamo electric machines, regardless of the specific purpose tor which they may be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: v

l. A commutator unit comprising a flat annulus composed of a plurality of segments extending outwardly in the same plane, said segments having on one side a flat brush surface and on the other side having a laterally projecting undercut flange, a split clamping ring engaging said flange and a continuous ring surrounding and tightly fitted on said split ring, said split ring and continuous ring having outer ali'ned flat faces forming a substantially uninterrupted fiat clamping face adapted to be clamped against a support.

2. In a commutator construction, a flat commutator support, a commutator composed, of a plurality of segments arranged in the same plane, said segments having a flat brush surface andprovided on the side next. to the support with a laterally projecting undercut flange, annular segment retaining means comprising a split clamp ing ring engaging the flange, a continuous ring fitted tightly onto said split ring, and screws passing through said support into the segment retaining means for clamping the latter against the support.

3. In. combination in a commutator con struction, a commutator support, a commutator composed of a plurality of segments arranged. in the same plane and provided on one side with a brush surface and on the other side with an undercut flange, a split clamping ring engaging the flange, a continuous ring tightly fitted onto the split ring, and means For clamping. the-outer faces oi said two rings against the support comprising screws passing through the support and engaging both said rings.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto allix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

llAltOll'llUN K. KOUYOUlllJlAN.

Witnesses 2 r A. ll. liwls, A. J. HUDSON. 

